collins



N0. 609,08I. Patented Aug. l6, I898.

-R. J. C. COLLINS.

PUZZLE.

(Application filed Apr. 9, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

Wifinesses 177;677 Z07 1n: NOERIS.PETERS w. Pumo-Lh'no wnsumm'ox. n. c.

REUBEN JOHN COOPER COLLINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ALGERNONGRUNDY HARTLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 609,081, dated August16, 1898. Application filed April 9, 1898. Serial No. 677,024. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN JOHN COOPER COLLINS, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain, residing at Olapham road, London, in the county ofSurrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPuzzles, of which the following is a full and complete specification,such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention'consists in a puzzle of two parts or elements made ofsome rigid material and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged fromeach other in a novel, peculiar, and puzzling manner. I

The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter fullydescribed and specifically claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following speoification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated zle.

by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in which-Figures 1 and 2 are front and side elevations, respectively, of onemember of the puz- Figs. 3 and 4 are front and side elevations,respectively, of the other member of the puzzle. Fig; 5 is a sideelevation showing the parts when interlocked or in the position fromwhichit is usual to work to separate said parts, and Figs. 6, '7, and 8are elevations showing three different positions which the parts assumewhen working the puzzle.

One member consists, essentially, of three parallel bars 2, 3, and 4,connected together at their ends by cross-pieces 5, the central barbeingtransversely divided and separated for a short distance to form apassage 6,the said division being of awidth and distance from one end ofthe said bar dependent upon the respective sizes of certain portions ofthe other member. Situated a short distance from the said division is aout-away part or depression Sin that side of the central bar nearest oneof the side bars. This member 1 is preferably shaped to somewhatresemble a cricket-wicket. The other member 9 consists, essentially, ofa certain number of flat arms 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15,which arepreferably shaped to somewhat resemble cricket-bats, which said piecesare connected together by stems 16, somewhat resembling the handles ofthe said bats and which are connected together.

I prefer to provide the member 9 with six arms. Upon one side of one ofthe arms 10, which arm is hereinafter termed the keyarm, are two lugs orprojections 10 of such a distance apart and size as to prevent thekey-arm passing between the bars 2, 3, and 4 of the wicket except at thepoint where the said division 6 and depression 8 occur in the centralbar. The remaining five arms may each have a knob or projection (marked11, 12, 13, 14, and 15) upon one of their respec tive faces. The knobsareof such a size that it is impossible to pass anyof the several armsbetween the bars except at the point where the division or pass 6 occursin the central bar. The knob 13 upon the arm 13, opposite to the key-arm10, is situated upon the reverse side of that arm tothat of the keyarmbearing the said two lugs 10 Of the remaining four arms the two upon oneside of the key-arm have their respective knobs upon the same side oftheir respective arms, and the two arms on the other side of the keyarmalso have their respective knobs upon the same side of the respectivearms, but the knobs of the former two arms are upon the opposite side ofthe arms to that upon whichthe knobs of the latter two arms aresituated. 7

The peculiar or puzzling method of engage ment of the two members of thepuzzle is as follows; Those two arms 15 and 14 next the key-arm havingtheir knobs upon the same side of the arm as that of the lugs 10 on thekey-arm are passed edgewise through the space between the bars 3 and 4,the knobs passing by way of the aforesaid division 6. The member 9 beingslid to one end of the member 1, the key-arm 10 is next passed edgewisethrough the said space between the bars 3 and 4, its lugs 1O passing byway of the aforesaid division 6 and depression 8 in the central bar 3.The member 9 is then slid to the other end of the said space, and thethrough the bars in reverse order, however,

thus leaving the key-arm 10 inserted between the bars. The key-arm isthen passed by way of the division 6 to the space between the bars 2 and3, the stem of said arm allowing such movement, its lugs 10 being uponthat side of the arm adjacent to the bar 2, and the member 9 is thenmoved to that end of the wicket to which it was first moved. The twoarms 11 and 12, having their knobs 11" and 12 upon the opposite side ofthe arms to that on which the lugs on the keyarm are situated are thusenabled to pass and are passed edgewise between the two bars 2 and 3,between which the stem of the keyarm is situated, their said knobspassing by way of the division 6. The peculiar method of engagement ofthe two members is now complete, certain of the'arms being situated onone side of the member 1 and the remaining arms on the other side, theshape and size of the central portion of the member 9 allowing thatmember to be moved about and turned freely in either of the spacesbetween the three bars of the member. Disengagement of the two membersis effected by re- Versal of the movements of engagement.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A puzzle comprising two coacting members, onemember consisting of three bars joined together at their ends, themiddle bar having a division or passage and a depression on one sectionthereof, while the other member consists of a plurality of arms havingstems that are connected together, one of said arms having two lugs,while the other arms have knobs, substantially as described.

2. A puzzle comprising two coacting members, one member consisting ofthree bars joined together at their ends, the middle bar having adivision or passage and a depression on one section thereof, while theother member consists of six arms having stems that are connectedtogether, one of said arms having two lugs, two arms adjacent said armprovided with the lugs having knobs on the same side thereof, while theremaining arms have knobs on the opposite side thereof, substan- REUBENJOHN COOPER COLLINS.

Witnesses:

G. A. DE KA'roN, H. SEFTON J owns.

